Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-16
KING
Solomon 5 Mines,
BY Fl. RIDER HAGGARD.

armOr.
''Where art thou, Incabu, thou white man.
who slew Seragga, my Son-See If thou
canst kill meI' he shouted, and at the same
time hurled tola straight at Sir Henry,
who fortunately, saw it coming, and caught
it on his shield, which it transfixed, remain
ing wedged in the iron pate behind the hide
Then, with a cry Twala sprung forward
traight at him, and with his battle-ax struck
SIN such blow upon the shield that the
mere force and shocllof it brought Sir Henry,
strong a man as he was, down upon his
knees.
But at the time the matter went no further,
for at that instant there rose from the regi.
ments pressing round us something like a
shout OF dismay, and on looking up l saw
the cause.
TO the right and to the left the plain was
alive with the plumeS Of charging warriors.
The outilanking squadrons'liad come to our
relief The time could not have been better
chosen. All Iwaia'S arntI had, as Igrosi
had predicted would be fin case, fixed their
attention on the bloody struggle which was
raging round the remnant Of the GrayS and
the Buffaloes, who were now carrying on
battle OF their own at little distance, which
two regiments had formed the chest of our
army. 1t was not until the horns were
about to gall them that they had dreamed of
their approach. And now before they could
even assume a proper form ltion for defense,
these had leaped, like greyhoundS, on their
TANKS.
In five minutes the fate of the battle was
decided. Taken on both TANKS, and dis
mayed By the awful slaughter inflicted upon
them by the Grays and Buifaloes, Twala's
regiments broke into light. and soon the
whole plain between rs and Loo was scat
tered with groups of fly IL soldiers, making
good their retreat. As for the force that
had SO recently surrounded us and the But
faloes, they melted away as thou-h by magic,
and presently were left standin there like a
rock from which the sen had retreated. But
what sight it wasl Around us the dead
and dying lay III heaped-up masses, and of
the gallant Grays there remained alive but
ninety five men. More than two thousand
nine hundred had fallen in this one regi-
ment, most of them never to rise again.
Men" said Infadoos, calmly, as between
Che intervals of binding up wound In his
arm he Surveyed what remained to him of
his corps, ''ye have kept up the reputation
Of your regiment, AMI this days fighting
will be spoken Of by your children's child
rem" Then lie turned round and shook Sir
IleIly CuItlS DJ Tie llou dLO d
great man, Incubu,' he said, simply; Il
have lived 4 long life among warriors, and
know many a brave one, yet have | never
seen man like thee"
At this moment the BufalOeS began to
march past our position on the road to Loo,
and as they did SO a message was brought to
us from IgnOsi requesting lnfadooS, Sir
Henry, and myself to join him. According
ly, orders having been issued to the remain
ing ninety men OF The GrayS to employ them
selves in collecting the wounded, we Joined
IgnoSi, who informed us that he was pres
sing on to Loo to complete the victory by
capturing Twala, if that should be possible.
Before we had gone far we suddenly dis
covered the figure of Good sitting on an ant
heap about one hundred PAGES from us.
Close beside him was the body OF a Kukuana.
HE must be wounded" said Sir Henry,
anXiously. AS he made the remark ali unto
ward thing happened. The dead body of
the Kukuana soldier, or rather what had APP
peared to be his dead body, suddenly sprang
up, knocked Good head over heels off the
ant-heap, and began to spear him. We
rushed forward III terror, and as we drew
near we saw the brawny warrior making
dig after dig at the PROSTATE Good, who at
each prod jerked all his limbs into the air
Seeing us coming the Kukuana gave one fin
al most vicious dig, and with a shout of
Take that, wizard" bolted off. Good did
not move, and we concluded that our poor
comrade was done for Sadly we came to-
ward him, and were indeed astonished to
find him pale and faint indeed, but with a
serene smile upon his face, and his eye glass
siiIl fixed in MS eye
Capital armor this" he murmured, on
catching sight of our faces bending over him.
''How sold he must have been!' and then
tainted. On examination we discovered that
he had been seriously wounded in the leg by
a tolla in the course of the pursuit, but that
the chain armor had prevented his last assail-
ants spear from doing anything more than
bruse him badly. 1t was merciful escape.
AS nothing could be done for him at the mo-
ment, he was placed on one of the wicker
shields used for the wounded and carried
along with us.
On arriving before one of the gates of Loo
we found one of our regiments watching it
in obedience to orders received from lgnOSi
The remaining regiments were in the same
way watching the other exits to the town.
The officer In command of this regiment
coming up Saluted lgnosi as king, and in
formed him that Twala's army had taken
refuge in the town, whittier Twala himself
they were thoroughly demoralized, and
would surrender Thereupon lgnosi. after
taking counsel with US, sent forward heralds
to each gate ordering the defenders to open,
and promising on his royal word life and
forgiveness to every soldier who laid Down
his arms. The message was not without its
effect. Presently, amid the shouts and
cheers Of the BuffaloeS the bridge was drop
ped across the fosse, and the gates upon the
further side flung open.
Taking due precautions against treachery
we marched on into the town. All along the
road-ways stood detected warriors, their
heads dropping, and their shields ani spears
at their feet, who, as Ignosi pass l. saIuted
him as king. On we marched Straight to
Twala'S kraal. When we reache the great
space where a day or two previously we had
seen the review and the witch hunt we found
it deserted. No, not quite deserted, Tor there
on the further side, in front of his hut sat
Twala himself with but one attendant
''~--nnl
1t was melancholy sight to see him seat
nor